Princess vs. Carnival

[mystone99]

My wife and I are looking into going to Southern Caribbean for our cruise next year and we like the itinerary that Princess has, but we've never cruised with them before. I know they are now owned by Carnival and we have sailed with Carnival. Are there differences between the two lines, and which does a better job with guests?

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

[boating girl]

My wife and I are looking into going to Southern Caribbean for our cruise next year and we like the itinerary that Princess has, but we've never cruised with them before. I know they are now owned by Carnival and we have sailed with Carnival. Are there differences between the two lines, and which does a better job with guests?

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

Having cruised both equal times, I prefer Princess but will cruise Carnival if I like the itinerary better. They are not the same at all but you can have a good time. Princess is definately a step up from Carnival

[Katie333]

I've cruised both (this year and before) and I do prefer Princess. I've highlighted some of the differences in my recent Carnival Freedom review, but in a nutshell Princess is less frenzied with (in my opinion) better food and ambiance. I very much enjoyed my recent Carnival cruise, but a lot of that was because we had the advantage of a Cat11 suite and that really made the experience special.

[UnVrYaN]

I see you did not post this in the carnival board as well. You may want to do that if y0u truly want to get enough info to make a decision. If you only post it here I suspect you will hear that princess is better a dozen times over. I would post it over there (carnival boards) also and make your own decision.

[Cruzman]

As you can see from my siggy, I have sailed both lines. Most of my cruises are with Carnival for a couple of reasons; they offer a lot for the price I pay, and I can drive to many ports from which they sail. If I could get that with Princess, I would likely sail with them a lot more. Things I love about Princess are the relatively large fresh water pools that are open late, and the fact that they offer more entertainment options. Significantly smaller cabins are the primary down side.

[mystone99]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm going to try it and see what happens.

[christinelee]

Depends on your age and what you are expecting.......Glitz and glitter stay with Carnival.......Class go with Princess

[loveJake]

We have sailed Princess and Carnival 2 times each. We have done the 10 day Southern on the Emerald Princess and consider that our best cruise ever which was in an aft wrap cabin. We had always cruised Disney and loved the charm of the ship, we consider Princess the same quality and beauty as Disney. We sail Carnival and enjoy the cruise very much for the money, but it is not the same as Princess, just something missing. We will continue to cruise both lines with the Carnival Dream booked for Dec. and the Sapphire Princess booked for May. I would give Carnival a try, but on a 10 day I would choose Princess. We are both in our early 60's and usually sail Carnival in December where there is an older crowd.

[kooljamming]

I am 44 years old and sailed Carnival twice in '08 and Princess twice in 09. There are things that loved about both lines, so your preference might come down to style and taste. The decor on Carnival is loud with a touch/bang of Las Vegas flare. It has a much higher energy level and a build in fun factor. Princess has a much more elegant decor and beauty with amazing pools. Princess for me was a bit sedated/boring at times. Most activities were centered round demonstrations and classes@sea. The food I thought was much, much,much better on Carnival. On Princess I finally gave up on the MDR and tried the buffet, which I enjoyed. Cabins on Carnival were bigger and could be a deal breaker but Princess has one of the biggest closet I have seen. After noon tea is a special treat on Princess and should not be missed. I really enjoyed the evening entertainment on Princess but loved the ongoing pool activities on Carnival. For me Princess was not better but different from Carnival. I would return to Princess for the sheer beauty of the ships, evening entertainment and pools. I would return to Carnival because of the pool fun, food, high energy and vibe.

 

Enjoy your cruise regardless of line. Carnival Corporation and stockholders will be happy with either choice you make :-)

[KruzPrincess]

I've sailed on both. More Princess cruises than Carnival. I think it depends on who you are and what you're looking for. Princess ships are beautiful and the service is very good. I think it's a more classy experience. I like the quieter and more easy going atmosphere. I prefer the food on Princess. Carnival is glitzier and more Las Vegasy. I've been on Carnival cruises where the food was disappointing and I'm not that picky. I have had a Carnival cruise that had very good food, too. I don't like all the noise and pool games on Carnival. I'm not much interested in dancing and nightlife. Princess has night time activiites. A fun Caribbean night party, etc. Some people think Princess is too stodgy. I think it's a nice blend. Classy and really nice product.

[kooljamming]

Carnival and Princess

Two brilliant ideas by Carnival Corporation :-)

 

[shawilson]

Interesting question, that I always ask myself. Carnival cabins, that have balconies, also have couches (don't know about the other category cabins). To get a couch on Princess, you have to book a mini (which we always do). Carnival is less expensive.

 

Princess might have a slight edge on food, but that is really subjective, so I will say tie.

 

Freshwater pools, and the times they are open goes to Princess. Sometimes there are less screaming kids on Princess, but you never know.

 

On Princess, you usually can go directly to your room. On Carnival, you have to wait till 1 or later.

 

Carnival has a water slide, I had the bruises to prove it.

 

Princess ships are starting to look all the same to me. Carnival ships have their own "personality". Some people think that Carnival ships are "blingy Las Vegas". Have they ever sailed Carnival? We were on Pride twice and once on Splendor. Nothing like Vegas, in the least. Check out the pictures of Carnival's newer ships before you make that remark.

 

Love both Princess and Carnival.

[jlq3d3]

The bigger question is what the difference is between HAL and Princess.

[bphman]

We've done 5 Carnival and 2 Princess, generally sailing suites when my wife and I travel without the kids. We give a slight edge to Carnival in that we find the food much better. Cabins represent a better value and Carnival is a lot more fun. I wouldn't really call Princess classy. Princess ships are prettier but the common areas are more crowded. And, to me, what makes a ship classy are the fellow passengers. That is the advantage HAL has since someone raised that point. Several bars on Princess were packed and never had that problem on Carnival. Did not like the constant announcements on Carnival but I was able to tune them out pretty quickly. Two features we like very much on Princess were the Ultimate Ship's Tour and the Chef's Table. In the final analysis, I feel that the choice between the two is a coin toss. Each has it's strengths. If the itinerary and price suit you, that is the cruise I would choose.

[tahitiluvr]

I personally prefer Princess over Carnival mostly because I prefer the food on Princess. Other than that, I decide based on itinerary. For instance, this summer, I was deciding between two cruises, one with Princess and one with Carnival. I chose the Carnival Victory for their Southern Caribbean cruise because there were no sea days. Regardless, you'll have fun no matter who you travel with...you're on a cruise right? What's better than that!!!

[dclark]

For instance, this summer, I was deciding between two cruises, one with Princess and one with Carnival. I chose the Carnival Victory for their Southern Caribbean cruise because there were no sea days.

 

Last summer, I did both- did the Valor mid June, then Golden Princess a week later to Alaska.

For the most part, Princess was superior in every area. This was my tenth CCL cruise and part of the problem was that CCL cutbacks were noticeable in many areas, from food, service, to moving the captains party to the last night. My plat goodies really helped make the cruise better though. I am not saying CCL is bad, I still like them, but there are a lot of areas where Princess shines. Next summer, I'll be on the CCL Legend, then jot on to the Golden Princess again, so I am no CCL basher, but my family does prefer Princess.

[CrusinAgain]

Princess is #1 with us and Carnival is #2 with Royal #3. We tried NCL and that is no but have not tried HAL.

 

Carnival has larger cabins and bathrooms but Princess has better day time and night time entertainment as well as movies in the theater and movies under the stars although Carnival ships are starting to offer this as well. If you like Carnival, you should like Princess but don't expect neon signs like Carnival as Princess has a more classy look. In my opinion, both have good food and both have 24 hours buffetts at least Carnival did.

 

We did the Southern Caribbean on the Crown Princess and loved it. Give it a try, even my young adult daughter prefers Princess first. The Carnival Victory I believe goes out of San Juan and is a bit smaller and older than the Caribbean Princess that is our favorite ship. Too bad if you don't have the time or money would be to take one of them on one leg and the other on the other leg if it worked out like that.

[Ando]

I have cruised Carnival & Princess several times each and enjoyed each one of the cruises, but they are very different. IMHO & based on my experiences:

 

A Carnival cruise is fun and a Princess cruise is nice & more relaxed.

 

The food on Carnival is good, the food on Princess is better

 

The pools on Princess are excellent, the pools on Carnival not as good and more crowded.

 

The nightclub on Carnival is packed until the wee small hours, on Princess it's often more like a private dance floor ;)

 

The cabins on Carnival are larger but sparse, Princess are slightly smaller but better appointed with nicer decor...and the fabulous walk in robes

 

Carnival ships (particularly the older ones) have a fun Las Vegas-style glamor & glitz, Princess decor is much more conservative

 

So if you are after a fun, high energy vacation Carnival wins hands down, but if you are looking for a more relaxed vacation go with Princess. You'll have a great cruise on either, but if you pick the one that best suits your personal preference you'll have a great cruise :D

[cruisenuts4life]

We are going on princess for first time in april,have been on rc and celebrity.We just returned from carnival pride and had a great time but have to say it doesnt compare to any ships we have been on.Food in mdr was pretty good but buffet wasnt that great.Iwould sail only if the price was right but wouldnt pay full price,would wait for price to come down.After this cruise I am really looking forward to Princess.

[PhoneGoddess]

In my opinion, both have good food and both have 24 hours buffetts at least Carnival did.quote]

 

Actually they have 24 hour buffets on Princess, not on Carnival (at least not on any of their ships that I have been on).

 

I prefer Princess over Carnival for many reasons including food, ambiance and service, but when I need a cheap getaway, I go with Carnival.

[hightownCO]

Have cruised both lines and would perfer Princess for several reasons. However, would chose by Ports first, ship second, cruise line third.

 

Right now, Carnival has the Victory cruising souther carib. If it's that ship during the time of year you're going and ports being equal, would choose Princess ship if it's Caribbean Princess or any of the newer Princess ships.

 

Had a fine time on Victory - don't get me wrong - but just prefer the newer Princess ships.

[ChrisRobinson]

Princess is our first choice. We have fun on any line, but Princess 'satisfies' us more.

 

We are early mid forties, we like a less 'vibrant' atmosphere. We love the Princess pool aereas, especially the aft pool.

 

Touchy subject, I'm sure, but Princess costs a bit more. We are not 'bottom line shoppers' and neither are a majority of fellow Princess cruisers, so you get 'non bottom line shoppers to cruise with' if that means anything. It does to us.

 

Think of it this way: some online dating sites are FREE. some cost money. The selection on the "pay dating sites" is remarkably better than on the "free dating sites."

[maxamuus]

Think of it this way: some online dating sites are FREE. some cost money. The selection on the "pay dating sites" is remarkably better than on the "free dating sites."

 

Now that’s one comparison I haven’t heard yet. ;)

[TorontoTL]

now that’s one comparison i haven’t heard yet. ;)

 

rotflmao

[CrusinAgain]

 

Actually they have 24 hour buffets on Princess, not on Carnival (at least not on any of their ships that I have been on).

 

I prefer Princess over Carnival for many reasons including food, ambiance and service, but when I need a cheap getaway, I go with Carnival.

 

Really? I know my adult kids were eating past midnight on the Carnival Miracle inside the Lido buffet and it was more than pizza. However, the short cruise we took on the Imagination did not offer 24 hours buffet. I am so surprised since Carnival is loaded with young ones who eat all the time, but RCI is filled with young ones also and they are not opened 24 hours. Another reason to love Princess as well as freshwater pools versus salt water on Carnival.